[Errant]

For some reason I've been tempted lately when in bookstores to pick up one of the newer Dragonlance novels. I used to read them a long time ago...probably when I was in middle school, maybe some in high school. I remember even then thinking they could get quite silly/cheesy, but I do think I enjoyed them overall.

My question is...after reading much more 'serious' or 'mature' works from Erikson, Guy Gavriel Kay, or even Martin, is it possible to get much enjoyment out of a D&D fantasy novel from Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms? I can't figure out if the temptation is just nostalgia, or if I actually expect to find a good story. I know right out that I won't enjoy the writing as 'literature,' but are there any decent stories being told in these series? Some enjoyment to be had from a quick/easy read?

I don't think I've ever read any Forgotten Realms, but I get the impression it's fairly similar stuff to Dragonlance. As for Dragonlance, I think I remember liking some of the other writers' stuff better than Weis and Hickman's main books (Knaak, Rabe, maybe?).

So should I just ignore this whim and keep reading the good stuff (I've only just finished MOI, so I have a long ways to go in the Malazan series, and I haven't even started Bakker's stuff yet, but planning on it soon)? If anyone thinks it worthwhile, which Dragonlance/Forgotten Realms books did you enjoy the most? Thanks for any input in advance.

[Werthead]

Most of it is popcorn stuff at best, but in the Forgotten Realms line Paul Kemp (an Erikson fan, IIRC) is pretty good and delivers above-average material. RA Salvatore is well, well past his sell-by date now. A lot of the others are meh, but you may find the odd gem in the rough.

[Errant]

I just took a quick glance at some of Kemp's stuff online, and it looks like it could be pretty interesting. Having not read any Forgotten Realms, I know nothing of the universe. Well, actually, I did play Baldur's gate and Icewind Dale back in the day, but hardly remember any of the story. Weren't those Forgotten Realms?

Anyway...not knowing much at all about the universe, will these novels be worth the read? Or should I read a few of the original books to get a feel for the universe first? They all seem like pretty quick reads.

[knight of shadows]

I would start with the icewind dale trilogy then go to the dark elf trilogy if your going to read RA Salvatore not really complex but fun quick reads I'm not real familiar with Kemp so can't help you there

[Werthead]

FORGOTTEN REALMS is a pure setting with little in the way of ongoing meta-plots or big stories. Kemp's stories, in fact, are set in Sembia, a country often mentioned but I don't think featured at all in the books until he did one there. Kemp himself recommends his EREVIS CALE TRILOGY as the best place to start with his books.

[Macros]

If you're going FR, I'll second the recommendation for the D'rizzt trilogy.
Fun and a total minddump

[KalamMekhar]

Sembia is used in another series, the Sembia series, that deals with the family that Everis is the butler for before his 2 triogies about himself come out. I would recomend reading that one first then moving onto the 2 trilogies. But yes i agree with what everyone else has sad about kemp, one of the better ones in forgotten realms. Salvatore is good, but his last book in the latest trilogy Transitions, the book being The Ghost King, was pretty blah, i have read every single drizzt book and this one i just couldnt even finish because of how bad it is.

I would also recommend the war of the spider queen series, good stuff

[acesn8s]

I'd suggest the Avatar series: Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep.

[Errant]

Thanks for the replies. No one in the area has the first Erevis Cale book, and I won't be able to get it in before we leave for Italy if I order it, so it'll have to wait a few weeks. Not that I'm without any good books to read in the meantime, though. Just started Tigana and my copies of HoC and MT should be here early next week.

Has no one found any worthwhile Dragonlance books?

[Werthead]

Errant, on 27 March 2010 - 02:32 AM, said:

Thanks for the replies. No one in the area has the first Erevis Cale book, and I won't be able to get it in before we leave for Italy if I order it, so it'll have to wait a few weeks. Not that I'm without any good books to read in the meantime, though. Just started Tigana and my copies of HoC and MT should be here early next week.

Has no one found any worthwhile Dragonlance books?

The only worthwhile DRAGONLANCE books are the original ones by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman (starting with DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT). The problem is that they are only really worthwhile if you are about 11 and looking to start in fantasy, say on the same level as Eddings' BELGARIAD. If you are much older than that, I'd say not to bother at all, especially if you've read the likes of Erikson already.

[acesn8s]

Werthead, on 30 March 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

Errant, on 27 March 2010 - 02:32 AM, said:

Thanks for the replies. No one in the area has the first Erevis Cale book, and I won't be able to get it in before we leave for Italy if I order it, so it'll have to wait a few weeks. Not that I'm without any good books to read in the meantime, though. Just started Tigana and my copies of HoC and MT should be here early next week.

Has no one found any worthwhile Dragonlance books?

The only worthwhile DRAGONLANCE books are the original ones by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman (starting with DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT). The problem is that they are only really worthwhile if you are about 11 and looking to start in fantasy, say on the same level as Eddings' BELGARIAD. If you are much older than that, I'd say not to bother at all, especially if you've read the likes of Erikson already.

I agree. If you really want to read any, read the first 3 Chronicle books. Then if you really like Raistlin, read the Legend books. After that things get pretty cookie-cutter.

[Errant]

acesn8s, on 02 April 2010 - 01:42 PM, said:

Werthead, on 30 March 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

Errant, on 27 March 2010 - 02:32 AM, said:

Thanks for the replies. No one in the area has the first Erevis Cale book, and I won't be able to get it in before we leave for Italy if I order it, so it'll have to wait a few weeks. Not that I'm without any good books to read in the meantime, though. Just started Tigana and my copies of HoC and MT should be here early next week.

Has no one found any worthwhile Dragonlance books?

The only worthwhile DRAGONLANCE books are the original ones by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman (starting with DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT). The problem is that they are only really worthwhile if you are about 11 and looking to start in fantasy, say on the same level as Eddings' BELGARIAD. If you are much older than that, I'd say not to bother at all, especially if you've read the likes of Erikson already.

I agree. If you really want to read any, read the first 3 Chronicle books. Then if you really like Raistlin, read the Legend books. After that things get pretty cookie-cutter.

Alright, thanks. Guess I won't worry about Dragonlance for now, then. I read the Chronicles trilogy about 15 years ago and didn't even really like it that much back then. I do remember liking one or two other books though...I think the Legend of Huma was one. But that was even before I read Chronicles, I think, so maybe I'd dislike that one too now.

[Mentalist]

RE: Dragonlance
Legend of Huma was Knaak. His domain of the Dragonlance was Minotaurs, and he wrote them well.'I have never picked up the latest Minotaur Wars trilogy, so can't vouch for it's quality, though.

Rabe wrote "Dragons of the New Age", which is a transitional cycle from "Dragons of Summer Flame" to the War of the Souls and Age of Mortals (See below) and was also fairly dark, for a Dragonlance book. there was a second series with the same character, the Dhamon Series but i've never got around reading past volume 1 of it.

there's also a standalone Taladas trilogy, written by Chris Pierson. It's set on a different continent, with a different setting, and the first book tries REALLY hard to be epic, and does it fairly well, actually, with sketchy characters, a fairly epic battle, separate PoVs, and a nice little convergence at the end. However, second book devolves into a much more traditional "Band of misfit heroes out to save the world from EVIL" trope, and I still haven't bothered to pick up book 3.

Weis and Hickman's later stuff--the "War of the Souls" trilogy, was a serious attempt to write a darker, more massive-scale story. if you can look past the Deus Ex Machina ending, it's fairly enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend buying it, but I read it when I was like 19, having first read W&H at 13 ("The Hand of Chaos" being my first real fantasy book), and I found it all right.

In general, from simply browsing, I get the impression that some of the later spin off trilogies were going for a more "epic/historical" feel, but none ever interested me enough to purchase.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 11 April 2010 - 02:28 AM